Machine for drying and straightening veneer.



PATENTE@ um, 1, 1907.

4 HETS-SHEET 1.

F. N. MEBY.

laf.

APPLIUATION FILED KAB.Z3.1906.

TllllllllllrlfllllM/Irllln I l i Il! MACHINE FOR DRYING AND STRAIGHTENNG VBNEER..

No. 839,868. PATENTES JAN. l, 1907.

F. N MRBY. MACHINE FOR DRYING AND STRAGHTENNG VENBBR. APPLIGATION FILED mmf/13.1906.

' z SHEETS-SHEET z.

f z. s

Q D 4 U A D V L PATENTE) JAN. 1; 1907.

F. N. MOREY. MAUENE FOR DRYING AND STRAGHTENING VENEBR.

APFLIOATION FILED MAR. 23.1905.

EY H TTY.'

PATENTED JAN. l, 1907.

F. N" MORE-Y. MACHINE FOR DRYNG AND STRAIGHTENING VENEER.

APPLICATION LED MAR. 23.1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

ImfEN Tor-z UNITED sra'rns PATENT DFFIUlil.

FRANK N. MOREY, OF PAINESVLLE, OHO.

MACHINE FOR DRYING AND STRMGHTENING VENEER.

Nassasee.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. l, 1907.

Application filed March 23,1906. Serial No. 307.621.

To all whom t may concern: i

Be it known that I, FRANK N. Mener, a citizen of lthe United States, residing at Painesville, in the county of Lake and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in- Machines for Drying and Straightening Veneer; and l do declare;

that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it ap pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a machine for dryarged over Figs. 1 and 2, and Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 3. Fig-5 is a cross-section on a line corresponding substantially to line a, Fig. 3, excepting that certain gears off that line are cross-sectioned to show their relation to the shafts on which they are mounted; and Fig. 6 is a materially-enlarged cross-section of two adjacent sprocket-wheels in each of the two adjacent sets of wheels for the veneercarriers and showing carriers and other arts in that connection, all substantially as s own and described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Inasmucli as veneer is cut circularly from the log, its natural tendency is to curl, and inasmuch as the log necessarily is steamed, so as to soften the wood for cutting, the thin sheet removed therefrom is completely saturated with moisture and requires drying as well as permanent straightening before 1t can p be used. The ,drying must take place concurrently with the straightening, and the two results necessarily are obtained in the same operation. Hence the object of the present machine is to both dry and straighten veneer at the same time. To this end the veneer or sheet of whatever size is passed between upper and lower endless carriers through a drying-chamber provided with means for heatin the same to a suitable drying tem eraturegby the introduction of volumes o heated atmos here as well as with means for removing t e moisture-laden atmosphere arising from the drying process in.

the manner best suited to this kind of work and as will more fully appear hereinafter in the description.

Now, 'having reference again to the drawings, the' drying-chamber A may be built up in any suitable way and of any suitable material and, as shown in this instance, comprises a series of posts or standards B at suit able intervals and places at each side and ends and longitudinal bars o1' beams C of channel-iron, angle-iron, or the like, forming a framework with said posts and inclosing walls D, preferably of sheet-iron, but not necessarily, and any other suitable material for inclosure may be used. The wall D runs along both sides and top and bottom of the chamber, and. the entire chamber has usual dimension-slof about one hundred feet length and eight feet width and stands bodily aboye the floor about as shown, the betteln channel-irons C forming the immediate base-support for the machine and the standards or posts B. @ne of the novel features of this chamber is the side Ventilating-s aces (indicated by E and E, respectively) along both sides thereof its full length and outside of the working part of the chamber. The air-inlet and distributing spaces E run from the airinlets F oppositely at each end to the middle of the chamber, and the air-exhaust spaces E also run oppositely as to sides and ends to the middle of the chamber and serve to draw olf the used air, which is drawn across the drier-carriers and conveyed to the suction outlet-tube G.

The hot-air-supply spaces E. at opposite sides and ends of the drierchamber'have vertically-arranged air deflectors or plates .2 here and there adapted to divert the inliewing air between successive carriers bottom to top, and the opposite. exhaustspaces E' have elbow-shaped exhaust orisuction iues 3, opening into the bottom thereof from exhausttubes G.

An important result of the foregoing construction is the carrying of the drying atmosphere transversely of the machine. ln all veneerdriers wherein the air is carried lengthwise of the machine the air becomes so excessively laden with moisture that it could not possibly do its Work either eilcctuz-illy or speedily, as must be obvious; but by a crossdraft and exposing the veneer to dry air only no portion of the dry air is required to handle more moisture than can readily absorb by a substantially transverse movement IOC through the machine, which greatly facilitates the drying operation and thoroughly dries the stock in the shortest time possible. This also largely increases the possible output of a machine or plant otherwise limited in its capacities and works a great saving over the old method of handling the drying element.

The several air-diverting plates or vanes 2 inside the air-distributing spaces E run at successive elevations from low to high as they leaveI the blower-inlet F, Fic. 2, and the several elbow-flues for carrying off the moisture-laden air discharge into a common tube G at their bottom, whence the air is drawn by the exhaust-fan g through crosstube G at the middle and bottom of the drier-chamber- IThis cross-tube also may have exhaust-openings from the drier-chamber, as Well as tubes G at intervals, if proferred, independent of flues 3. Sometimes it is objected that the introduction of heated air at both ends of a drier of this kind or for .this purpose may produce checking in the stool/r; but my experience has demrmstrated that there is no danger of this result in a ma-v chine which handles its drying-air as in this case, while it does very materially facilitate turningr out thoroughly and uniformly dried stock from all elevations in the machine and the doinnr of which has been one of the common difficulties encountered before my inventionand which is perfectly overcome in this instance. New, having a machine possessing these several features of construction and operation, a further element of noveltyv is the construction and arrangement of the earrier mechanism for the veneer. A This in cludes successive series of carrier-aprons or endless carriers arranged in'sets or series of six carriers in 'each set, one above the other horizontally and one set followingr the other in order from the beginning to the end of the machine. In the present machine there are ten such sets of carriers ten. feet in length between sprocket or carrier wheels J, over which the carriers travel. Each set of carriers has its own sprocketchains N on shafts L, which run from side to j side of the machine and have their bearings 5o inI osts B, `and three sprocket-wheels are used) on each shaft-one at each/ end andanother at the center. There are ,also three sprocket-chains N for each individual carrier, and said chains and the cross slats or pieces n constitute the carrier as such. The slats a may be of wood 'ormetal or even metallic tubin andere close enough together4 to form bet a carrying-surface for the veneer and a straightening'medium therefor in conjunction with the next carrier above, which rests thereon, as will resently appear.

Fig. -illustrates t e relations of the carriers one to the,other horizontally, as also seen in Fig. G, and the actuating gear-wheels M and 0, respectively, on the 'outer ends' of @eases shafts L are splined and loose alternately in the series'from bottom to top. Thus havinT shaft L .at one end and bottom of the machine under suitable power connections, so as to impart motion from it y a propriaite con?, 'lq neetions to all the carriers in t e machine, th"" power is transmittedalong the line to the next adjacent series or set of carriers by means of a s rocket-chain R, running from a wheel 4 on t e'extremity of shaft L" to a 75 sprocket-wheel 5 on the next or driven shaft L, and a sprocket-chain R on a wheel 6 on this shaft imparts-motion to the next series of carriers, and so on to the end of the several series-ten all told in this instance. i An in- 86 termcdiate pinion 7 mounted on stud 8is in mesh with gears M and O on the lower shafts L2 and L3, respectividy, and im arts' motion to the series of gears and s afts spline-.d thereto .in the VSet above Yshaft La, thereby providing a positive pull upon alternate carrier-chains N and which may be termed the retreating or idle" chains ofv each set of chains. ,This constitutes a construction and arrangement f-parts Which'go imparts exactly the same rate of travel to all the carriers in a single set or series and to all the series alike. It should have been noted' that this construction and arrangement of parts is simply repeated from set to set of '95 carriers i throughout the machine. Each shaft L at each end of each carrier, therefore,

is equipped with its three several sprocketwheels J and its end gear M or 0, according as the wheel is splined or free on the shaft, roo and the splined gears are at the pointof ull for each carrier. Thus in Fig. 3 at the eft and top the second gear from the top is shown as s lined, because the veneer is borne along` on t 1e top of that carrier, and the top 105 of said carrier 1s therefore drawn or pulled along from the discharge end. On the other hand, the two next adjoinin carrier-surjfaces between the second and t iird wheels M travel back idle. Then. the fourth shaft r 1o from the top becomes active, and the veneer f inthis line 1s borne along on the top of the carrier, as in t e first instance. Thus, there are three active and three idle lines of travel shown, the idle ones retreating and .the active i 1 5 ones advancing continually. At the op or site ends ofthe same carriers the idle gears of each carrierare offset by a positive or s lined gear M, and the savior bottom of eac car l rier rests down uni ormly on the veneer on 12o the top of the carrier immediately beneath and serves to press thereon and straighten the same and hold it straight while dr g. As seen in Fig. 3, the free gear on one s aft is set opositev a splinedgear on the next succe'eclf,ieg;`

ing shaft in the other series, and so on back and forth to the top in order to et the ,nerf respondin carriers to` travel in t esame di lreaction. he foregoing or any quivalent v arrangement of gear andv drive mechanism 513e may be employed. Another feature in this e iongitndinal bars l2, which upper portion orp each carrier-chain between the corresponding sprocket-wheels. These bars have flat top surfaces over which the carriehs or carrier-chains slide, so that all the carrying portions ofthe carriers are lre t perfectly latand even throughout their ength, and let-surfaced bridges 13, Fig. 6, intervene between successive carriers in the saine line of transit to s an the s ace between'carriers on the .saine p ane. T e space between said l carriers in any event is so small that bei'ore the engagement of the advancing carrier is released the next succeeding one will grip it. The bars l2 rest in transverse angle-irons or cross-pieces i4 at their middle and ends.

So tar the machine has been reiferred to as only a veneer-machine but it may be used for other purposes, as shall be found desirable- 'or convenient. Obviously also the machine is of the lrnoclrdown kind for convenience in shipping. f

Usually hatches are provided here and there to enter the drier-chamber. By dividing up the carrying and drying area for the veneer between the ends of the machine into subdivisions, sections, or sets not exceeding ten feet in length or between the sprocketcarrying wheels l. get many advantages over a full-length carrier, as is obvious, both for convenience in shipping and setting up, but especially in obtaining a carrier that can be put into the machine with the requisite working stretch and not have it sag excessively nor run loose to 'an objectionable extent when exnanded by heat. It will be observed that there is no wall between either the air-inlet distributing-s ace and the airexhaust space and the en less carriers, and this leaves the'air free to iiow across between the carriers without interruption, whence it is drawnofi by suction.

What claim is-y 1. A drying-chamber provided with o lposite air distributing and exhaust spaces a ong its sides open their entire length and depth to the inside of the machine, and a series oi endless carriers between said spaces, and an inlet for air to one space and an exhaust for the air open to the other space, whereby the dryingair is moved across the carriers from side to side. i

` 2. A drying-chamber having endless drying-carriers adapted to travel lengthwise therein` and provided with opposite air dise tributirrg and exhaust spaces, respectively,

along its sides outside of said carriers, said spaces open to said carriers from top to bottorn, and deiiectors of varying elevation in the said air-distributing space. A

3. A. drying-chamber having a space along one side thereof and open from top to bottom on its inside 'for the distribution of drying-air to said chamber, and a full-depth space on its opposite side open from top to bottom to eX- haust the air from said chamber, an inlet to said distributing-space and means in said space to deilect the air inward, and exhaustilues at the bottom of said exhaust-space, whereby the drying-air is caused to travel transversely of said chamber.

d. A. drying-chamber provided with a hotair-distributing space along one side and an air-exhaust space along the other side and exhaust-fines opening into said exhaust-space to draw oil the moisture-laden air, in coinbination with carriers exposed along their edges to both said spaces;

5. A veneer-drying chamber, in combination with sets oi endless veneer-carriers arranged successively one to another and each set of carriers provided. with its own carrying mechanism, said carriers in the saine horizontal plane being arranged to travel in the saine direction and means to bridge over from one carrier 'to the other, whereby veneer fed in at the head of the machine traverses a series of .successive carriers to the tail. of the inachine.

A veneerdrying chamber' having a snccession of endless carriers one following the other in the saine horizontal plane, said carriers comprising sprocket-chains and crossslats at intervals thereon and sprocket-wheels carrying said chains, bridges for the veneer between the sprocket-wheels and carriers in adjacent sets and horizontal supports for said chains between the ends thereof.

7. in a veneer-drying machine, a series oi endless carriers in. a succession oi sets following one another 'from one end to the other'in the machine, and actuating and supportingrneehanisin for said carriers comprising a positively-engaged gear-wheel at one end and a loosely-mounted ge ar-wheel at the other end, and said positive and loose gears alternating in each series.

8. ln a veneer-drier, drying-chamber, in combination with a succession of separate sets oi carriers arranged end end and adapted to receive theveneer iroin set to set, bridges between' carriers in the' saine plane and said carriers comprising endless chains and cross-slats, shafts and sprocket-wheels 'ixed thereon. carryin said chains and alternate loose and fixe gears on said shafts from bottorn to top in each set of carriers.

in testimony whereof l sign this specification in the presence oftwowitnesses.

' FRANK N. MOREY. Witnesses:

R. B. Moena, C. il.. Sani.. 

